Je vais arranger la bête en vous
by Duct-Tape-Heart
Summary: A Cophine Beauty and the Beast AU. My first fic for this fandom, so I welcome any constructive feedback!
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time. . . Okay, maybe not that long ago. Once upon thirty years ago, four identical girls were born into a world where science and magic happily coexist. The girls were the daughters of a wealthy and successful couple. They were named Sarah, Allison, Rachel and Cosima Niehaus. They lived with their parents in an old, renovated castle tucked back in the woods. They had a great life, a life to be envied.

As the girls got older they each grew into distinct personalities. Sarah was rebellious and wild, with a reckless streak. Allison was uptight and fastidious, with a flair for the dramatic. Rachel was focused and driven, with passion for magic and power. Cosima was intelligent and free-spirited, with a passion for science.

Rounding out their household were a couple of amazing servants- Siobhan Sadler (once their nanny, later the caretaker of the house), Felix Dawkins-Sadler (Siobhan's adopted son, more of a playmate and companion, though he helped his mother around the house), and Cal Morrison (the young yardman).

Though they were different, they loved each other very much and stayed together through everything: When Sarah got pregnant at age 20 (and had a little girl named Kira- she insisted it isn't Cal's child, but the child had his eyes); when Allison married Donnie Hendrix when the girls were 21 (the couple moved into their own wing of the castle, Allison not desiring to be separated from her sisters.) The only odd one out was Rachel, who just didn't seem to connect or want to connect with her family.

Everything changed though, on the morning of their 22nd birthday. The quintuplets spent every birthday together, and nothing would stop that. Cosima, the only daughter to go away for school (simply because no schools in the area were equipped to handle the young genius) flew back from working on her PhD just for the occasion. Instead of sending a car, the Niehaus parents drove to retrieve their daughter themselves. It was March though, miserably cold, and on the way home the car hit a patch of ice and skidded into the forest. Their parents were killed instantly, and though there is magic in the world, it cannot resurrect the dead. Cosima somehow survived without a scratch.

The sisters grieved together, tragedy making them closer than ever. But then the will was read. The estate was to be divided up evenly, which was perfectly fine and fair for all of the sisters, but one. Rachel knew she was the most capable, most cunning and that she should be head of the family and the fortune. She called for a meeting, bringing along Daniel, her personal lawyer and sorcerer, knowing she would need his help to persuade her sisters out of their shares one by one. She had a plan.

Rachel started the meeting by stating that Cosima was clearly to blame for the death of their parents, expecting at least one of her sisters to support that viewpoint. She was wrong and an argument broke out as her other two sisters leapt to Cosima's defense. Sarah slapped Rachel, who lunged back. But Cosima herself stepped in the way and pushed Rachel away from Sarah. As Rachel staggered back, she stumbled and twisted, her left eye meeting the corner of the table on her way to the ground.

That's how Rachel lost her left eye, permanently (for that also could not be fixed by magic), a thing she blamed Cosima for (the other two as well, for taking her side), as she fled her family home, Daniel beside her. She vowed revenge on her sisters. She vowed revenge on the lowly servants who had always loved her sisters more. But Cosima had cost Rachel her eye. Cosima was responsible for the death of their parents. Cosima would have to suffer the worst.

It was a few days later that the whole household awoke to the sounds of screaming from Cosima's room. They all ran to her and threw her bedroom door open, stopping helpless as they watched her small body transform in midair. Her thin, neat dreadlocks twisted into thick ropes of matted hair while her face grew into a short snout, brown hair covering it all. Her small, lean body bulked out with muscle, all covered with a thick layer of brown hair. Her fingers and toes twisted into sharp claws.

Finally, she dropped, panting, onto her bed. She looked down at her body and then looked at the group standing in the doorway.

Her voice rumbled deep in her chest, "What just happened?"


	2. Chapter 2

Doctor Delphine Cormier was a genius. This is an undeniable truth. And every bit of intelligence she had was evenly matched by her beauty. Long lithe limbs, big green eyes flecked with rich warm brown, soft waves of golden hair, she was gorgeous. No one who saw her could honestly say otherwise.

Aldous Leekie was her father's colleague. Saying he was merely aware of Delphine's beauty would be an understatement. He craved her, desired her, wanted her to be the perfect trophy on his arm. He was never aggressive with her, never made overt passes at her, but she could always feel his lecherous gaze burning into her, could feel his hand trace lightly down her back as they worked side by side.

Delphine never encouraged this attention, but she never stopped him either. She feared that he would become angry and resign from her father's company, the DYAD Institute of Science and Magic, taking his sizable investment with him. The company could survive without Aldous, but not without his money.

So, she reluctantly worked alongside him, using her scientific mind to develop vaccinations and cures for all manner of diseases. She had no real knowledge of magic, beyond knowing what it could and could not do; she was no sorcerer.

At the beginning of the work day, just as she subtly stepped away from Aldous's hand on her shoulder, her father, Doctor Etienne Cormier, entered the lab. He blustered about, gathering various medical supplies.

"Father, what's going on?"

He stopped flitting about. "I received a phone call. One of the Niehaus sisters is in need of a medical consultation. They've asked me to go in exchange for a rather sizeable donation to DYAD, on top of their regular annual support."

"The Niehaus sisters called? No one's heard from them in 8 years. They basically disappeared after their parents died," Aldous said, sounding thoroughly shocked.

"I was just as surprised as you are. But, that donation could go a very long way, so off I go," Etienne said as he left the lab.

Several hours passed without any contact from her father. It was nearing the time that most employees would be leaving for the day. Delphine was worried; her father's health was not the best. What if he had had an episode?

She tried calling his cell phone, several times, with no answer. After the fourth attempted call, she made a decision.

"Aldous, do we have an address on file for the Niehaus sisters? I'm worried that my father hasn't been in contact," she said across the lab table.

"You don't need an address. It's that large, old castle back in the woods."

"Merci. I'm going to make a trip out there," she rose from the table and collected her things.

A little over an hour later, Delphine drove through the open gates of the Niehaus estate, and parked next to her father's car.

She climbed the stairs, anxiety making her legs tremble, and slammed the huge brass knocker against the door.

She waited as she heard footsteps approach the door. It swung open to reveal an older woman with ruddy chestnut hair.

"Ummm, bonjour-"

"You're here for your father, aren'tcha, love?" the woman interrupted, with a heavy Irish accent. At Delphine's nod.

"You'd better follow me, then."


End file.
